FORT LAUDERDALE _ He flew above the most beautiful parts of America and saw every state on the continent in its majestic fall glory.
Yosuke Chatmaleerat, 27, a Miami aviation student seeking to bring attention to the need for more pilots, has set a Guinness World Record by traveling in a helicopter through all 48 contiguous states in 12 days.
He was alone, often exhausted, and had to stop every 2 { hours to refuel. There was bad weather, fatigue and the stress of not being able to find a hotel room. But he made the round-trip from Miami and returned on Oct. 7 feeling relieved and exhilarated.
"I saw so many amazing landscapes," said Chatmaleerat, who was born in Thailand, raised in Britain and moved to Miami four years ago. "I was at the sweet spot, 500 feet to 2,000 feet above, where you can see the terrain, the mountains, the colors of the rocks, so clearly. I was dying over Santa Fe, it was so beautiful."
Chatmaleerat started in Miami on Sept. 25 and traveled up the East Coast to Maine. He then headed west, southwest, north and east again, crossing through the country a few times to return to Miami on Oct. 7. Guinness confirmed his record on Friday.
The aviation student, almost finished with flight school, said he wants to make Americans more aware of the national pilot shortage. Thousands of pilots are expected to retire in the coming years at the mandatory retirement age of 65.
The number of American pilots has dropped to about 609,000, down from 827,000 in 1987. Experts say there is an assortment of reasons, including an aging workforce, an increase in the number of flying hours needed before certification and fewer pilots coming out of the military.
Chatmaleerat said flying is unmatched for its thrills and learning opportunities, and he hopes more young people become interested through his feat.
"You see these sights in pictures, but then when you see them for yourself, it's epic," he said.
